Saturday, November 19, 2016

Entry #1: Trump Appointees and the Alt-right

(I often use brackets in these articles to clarify that the comment is mine.)

Steve Bannon, Trump’s incoming Whitehouse Chief Strategist sidesteps criticism that he is a White Nationalist by characterizing himself as an “Economic Nationalist. “ Never the less he outlines 4 groups of Americans; 1) “Mainstream Americans (mostly white of European origin, Christian or Catholic) who are seen as those he and Trump champion, and all other racially and religiously diverse folks as either 2)“donor class” or 3) ascendant Americans, and those of the 4) “Metrosexual Bubble” (this last weds the terms metropolitan and sexual combined in the mid 1990’s with Bannon’s word choice, “Bubble” to denote a broad group of liberal city dwellers that assuredly includes LGBTQ people.*1, 2 & 3 He places these fractured euphemisms in descending order, and claims that both Democrats and Republicans have traditionally championed the last three to the exclusion of the first group that he and Trump now promote. The exaggeration and complex circumlocution is so readily apparent that I state the obvious, Steve Bannon is a White Nationalist!

Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions III is Trump’s new racist nominee. If I may by sarcastic, the appointment of Steve Bannon didn’t raise much concern among Democrats, so why should Sessions’ appointment cause any concern? Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions III, - yes, I’m using his full name because I am being snarky - is the archetype neo-confederate. He was voted down when nominated by Ronald Regan in1986 by the Senate Judiciary Committee for many reasons; among them, calling the NAACP un-American, offering a $50,000 bribe to a drug dealer who was testifying against his client, making derogatory statements concerning other civil rights organizations. He voted against The Matthew Shepard Act, voted in favor of the 2004-06 Federal Marriage Amendment Act that limited marriage to one man and one woman, and voted against the 2010 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act. So he is also prejudiced against LGBTQ people.

Another of Trump’s recent Nominees, Michael Flynn has been offered the post of National Security Advisor - this is done! No questions, he’s in like Flynn (pun intended)! Flynn has stated on Twitter that “Fear of Muslims is rational…” He believes that Sharia (Islamic Law) is taking hold in the United States which is absolutely not true. He has lobbied for a foreign country, Turkey.

"General Flynn also took a paid speaking engagement last year with Russia Today, a television network funded by the Kremlin, and attended the network’s lavish anniversary party in Moscow, where he sat at Mr. Putin’s elbow."*4

Michael S. Rogers is the man Trump is considering for Director of National Intelligence. It should be noted that the current director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr. recommended last month that President Obama remove Rogers from office. It seems that Carter has concerns with Rogers’ performance.*5

To summarize, This group of appointees is a motley crew that includes alt-right (next best thing to White Nationalist) cronies, in at least one case a racist, another has a possible delusion disorder, they often border on crooked (to use Trumps trumped up ignominious designation for Hillary Clinton), anti LGBTQ, and anti-Muslim bigots. I'm just calling it the way I see it!

About Me

I am a gay artist and art educator of 38 years, retired in 2005. I am currently producing artwork in several areas.
1) Pastel drawings of ocean, sky", beach, and marsh
2) Photography of the same,
3) Digital montages with a gay male theme, and
4) A blog titled Isaac Stolzfuts’ Journal.
In the past I have also worked in oils and graphite producing over-sized artwork of cultural icons in a hyper-real style.
I have a partner of 40 years. In the summer of 2005 we sold our house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and moved to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Juno Beach, Florida with the intention of spending half of the year in each location. In January 2008 we homsteaded in Florida in an effort to slow our exploding Palm Beach County taxes. As an artist the ocean, sky, saltwater marshes, and the light at both beach resorts has inspired me to create a new body of work.